A mother has been found murdered and her three children missing in Tiam Payam of Uror County in Jonglei State on Tuesday, local officials said.

Machot Gatluak Kenyjak, the Uror County commissioner, told Radio Tamazuj Wednesday that the deceased, accompanied by her three children, left Tiam Payam for Pajut town in neighboring Duk County on Monday.

“A woman left Tiam Payam for Pajut with her three children on Monday but was stabbed to death along the way before she could reach her destination,” he said. “Her body was found dumped by the roadside by a passerby from Pajut and the whereabouts of her children are not known.”

Relatedly, Commissioner Machot said a man was wounded when a vehicle he was traveling in was ambushed in Peri town on Wednesday.

“Today (Wednesday), some youth were ambushed while on a patrol in Pieri but they fought off the attackers and one was injured,” he said.

Gatluak Reath Wol, the head of the Uror Youth Association, also confirmed the attacks and said they were patrolling the county because residents are living in fear.